Top Law Officials Endorse Gallegly

Many of Ventura County’s top law enforcement officials have joined together in endorsing Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) in his bid for reelection.

Gallegly, who is seeking his fifth term, will face Democrat Kevin Ready of Ventura, a Santa Barbara County deputy counsel, in the Nov. 8 general election. Gallegly’s 23rd Congressional District covers all of Ventura County except for most of Thousand Oaks.

Gallegly received the endorsement of Sheriff Larry Carpenter and the Ventura County Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, which he heads. The committee includes Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury and the police chiefs of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Ventura.

In a prepared statement, Carpenter praised Gallegly for assisting local agencies in securing federal help after the Jan. 17 earthquake.

“He wasn’t hidden in some distant office watching the events unfold,” Carpenter said in his statement. “He was on our streets, standing in our lines, experiencing the disaster firsthand. As a consequence of his real-life exposure to those events, he was able to request and direct federal assistance where it was needed most.”

Gallegly welcomed the endorsement, saying it underscored the strong relationship he has established with the law enforcement community since his first election in 1986.

“I’ve always had support from law enforcement,” he said. “But I think it’s even more important to get that support once you’ve established a record. It indicates that you have a real pledge to provide all the help you can conjure up to make our streets safer.”

In addition to Gallegly, the law enforcement committee has endorsed former Simi Valley Police Chief Paul Miller for the Simi Valley City Council.